Govt, IRENA partner to bring renewables to Zim’s farms

By not embracing renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and biogas, farmers are missing out on a golden opportunity to reduce costs, boost profits, and become more competitive.

This overreliance on fossil fuels not only contributes to climate change, but also limits their ability to power irrigation, processing, and storage systems.

Renewable energy resources like solar panels, wind turbines and biofuels offer numerous benefits to both small-scale farmers and industrial agriculture. Renewable energy resources reduce operational costs, making the farming business more economically viable.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development is working in conjunction with the International Renewable Energy Agency to improve productivity in the Agricultural industry through decentralised renewable energy solutions.

During a validation workshop in Harare the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) programme officer Dr Wilson Matekenya said IRENA is working with African countries in terms of renewable energy solutions for a sustainable agriculture and health sector. “IRENA, commissioned by the Government of Zimbabwe, has conducted an assessment to explore the feasibility of deploying DRE solutions in Zimbabwe’s agricultural sector”.

The lack of renewable energy storage is indeed a significant challenge for farmers, leading to wasted produce and reduced income. Without reliable energy storage and other farming facilities, farmers may struggle to; power refrigeration systems to keep perishable produce fresh, operate processing equipment to transform raw produce into value-added products, irrigate crops efficiently, leading to water waste and reduced yields. Renewable energy storage solutions like batteries, solar drying, and biogas storage can help farmers reduce food waste and losses, increase their income through value-added products and improve their overall productivity and sustainability.

The primary objective of the DRE project is to integrate tailored solutions into selected agricultural value chains, identifying gaps and providing recommendations based on techno-commercial viability.

IRENA has been working with close to 14 African countries and Zimbabwe chairing the IRENA council for the year 2024 to 2025 and having Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Dr Eng Gloria Magombo as the chairperson, the Government looks forward to make an affirmative impact in the improvement of the Zimbabwe agricultural sector through adopting DREs.

The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development permanent secretary Professor Obert Jiri said the deployment of DRE solutions is vital in enhancing agricultural sector’s productivity, efficiency and resilience.

“As the ministry, we recognise the potential of DRE solutions in powering irrigation systems, cold storage facilities, and solar dryers, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and mitigating climate change.”

“We believe that the successful deployment of DRE solutions will contribute significantly to achieving our vision and economic goals. We are committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure the effective implementation of the DRE”, he added.

Speaking at the validation workshop, Eng Magombo highlighted that this is a good initiative which will help Zimbabwe reach its US$30 billion agricultural vision.

She added that: “Our rural communities are losing most of their vegetation through the use of biomass which is not sustained through the continuous planting of trees. To address these challenges there should be an adoption of clean energy solutions particularly DREs coupled with energy efficiency measures which offer a viable path to meet energy demands of the agriculture sector sustainable by leveraging clean energy option.”

“We can enhance productivity, increase farmer incomes, minimise loses, generate employment and improve livehooods through this initiative,” she added.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) established in 2011 is a lead global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation that serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, supports countries in their energy transitions, and provides state of the art data and analyses on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment. IRENA drives the widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy, including bioenergy, geothermal, hydropower, ocean, solar and wind energy in the pursuit of sustainable development, energy access, and energy security, for economic and social resilience and prosperity and a climate-proof future.-ebusinessweekly